Backend and APIs · Comparison
WebSockets vs SSE vs webhooks
Three ways to deliver news the moment it happens. WebSockets and SSE push updates to browsers and apps; webhooks push events from one server to another.
3 options · 7 questions side by side · updated
| Compare | WebSockets | SSE | Webhooks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | Both ways | Server to browser only | One service to your server |
| Connection | Kept open | Kept open as one long HTTP response | A new HTTP request per event |
| Receiver | Browsers, apps and servers | Browsers | A public URL on your server |
| Browser API | WebSocket | EventSource | None; it is server to server |
| Reconnects | Your code or a library handles it | Automatic | The sender retries failed deliveries |
| Hosting | Long-running server or a hosted service | Most HTTP hosts; serverless time limits apply | Any HTTP endpoint, serverless included |
| Typical use | Chat, games, collaborative editing | AI streaming, live feeds, progress | Payments, Git pushes, form submissions |
How to choose between WebSockets, SSE and Webhooks
- Pick WebSockets when both sides talk often, as in chat or multiplayer.
- Pick SSE when only the server sends updates, such as streaming an AI answer or a live feed.
- Pick webhooks to hear about events in another company's system, such as a payment or a push to GitHub.
The options
- WebSocketsA connection that stays open between a browser or app and a server so either side can send a message at any moment, which is how chat and live collaboration work.
- SSEA simple way for a server to stream updates to a browser over one long HTTP response, used for live feeds, notifications and AI answers that appear word by word.
- WebhooksA message one service sends to your server the moment something happens, such as a payment succeeding, so your app does not have to keep asking.
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